Shows / Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
The Becker's Payer Issues Podcast is the must-listen podcast exclusively created for health insurance executives. Two new 15-minute episodes are released weekly with the leaders who shape health insurance in America and the cost of care, policy and regula
Episodes
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Speed vs. Judgment: Rethinking AI’s Role in Underwriting
In this episode, Marc Jeffreys, General Manager, Health, Gradient AI, discusses how AI can streamline group health underwriting while keeping human judgment at…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Intent, Integration, Impact: Jefferson Health's Operating Model for AI & Real Care
In this episode, Dr. Patricia Henwood, EVP, Chief Clinical Officer at Jefferson Health, discusses the health system’s approach to AI integration, including its…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Improving Medicare Advantage Star Ratings Through Care Management and Data Sharing with Dr. Sanjiv Shah
In this episode, Dr. Sanjiv Shah, Chief Medical Officer, MetroPlusHealth, discusses how care management, provider partnerships, and timely information exchange…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Using Evidence Based Prevention to Improve Outcomes and Control Costs with Dr. Alice Chen
In this episode, Dr. Alice Chen, Chief Health Officer at Centene, discusses how health plans can use evidence based prevention frameworks to improve outcomes…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Beyond Tokenmaxxing: Building AI Payers Can Trust
In this episode, Ganesh Padmanabhan, CEO and Founder, Autonomize AI, discusses the risks of token maxing, reducing AI variability, and building scalable AI…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Beyond the Doomerism: What Safe Healthcare AI Looks Like in Practice
In this episode, Munjal Shah, Co-Founder & CEO of Hippocratic AI, discusses how healthcare AI can improve patient access and outcomes through rigorous safety…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Using AI and Virtual Reality to Strengthen EMS Training with Dan LaVallee
In this episode, Dan LaVallee, Associate Vice President of Community Engagement at UPMC Health Plan, discusses how an AI powered virtual reality simulator is…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Strengthening Medicaid and Maternal Health in Florida with Fiona Fang
In this episode, Fiona Fang, CEO of Aetna Better Health of Florida, discusses Medicaid challenges, maternal and infant health, whole person care and efforts to…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Building Better Health Plans for Small Businesses with Meredith Duncan
In this episode, Meredith Duncan, president and CEO of Texicare, discusses expanding access to affordable health coverage for small businesses, virtual care…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Medicare Advantage Market Disruption and the Future of Risk Adjustment with Ceci Connolly
In this episode, Ceci Connolly, President and CEO, Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP), discusses Medicare Advantage market disruption, plan exits…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Karen Ignagni on Affordability, Medicaid and the Future of Health Insurance
In this episode, Karen Ignagni, CEO, EmblemHealth, discusses the evolving Medicaid landscape, healthcare affordability, interoperability, and how health plans…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Beyond Star Ratings: What High-Performing Medicare Advantage Plans Do Differently
In this episode, Rick Gordon, Director of Government Programs at Milliman MedInsight, and Nicole Zilliox, Director of Clinical Products at Milliman MedInsight…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Building the Behavioral Health Workforce and Expanding Access to Recovery Care with Matthew Hurford
In this episode, Matthew Hurford, President and CEO of Community Care Behavioral Health at UPMC, discusses workforce development, the growth of UPMC’s…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Building the Data and AI Foundation for Health Plans
In this episode, Mike Sanky, Vice President of Healthcare & Life Sciences GTM, Databricks, discusses how health plans can modernize data and AI capabilities to…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Jeremy Wigginton on Expanding Behavioral Health Access
In this episode, Dr. Jeremy Wigginton, Chief Medical Officer at Capital Blue Cross, discusses expanding behavioral health networks, improving access and…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Building Trustworthy AI in Healthcare Through Transparency
In this episode, Halsey Wise, CEO, Lyric, discusses the importance of trust, truth and transparency in healthcare AI, including decision lineage, governed AI…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
What Health Plans Need to Know About the Next Regulatory Pivot
In this episode, Cereasa Horner, Vice President of Payment Integrity and Governance at CERIS, discusses how health plans can adapt to accelerating regulatory…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Healthcare Costs, IDR and the No Surprises Act: David Merritt on What’s Driving Affordability Pressures
In this episode, David Merritt, Senior Vice President of External Affairs at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, discusses rising healthcare costs…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Payer Shakeups, Rising Costs and the Future of Employer Health Insurance with Jakob Emerson
In this episode, Jakob Emerson, Associate News Director, Becker’s Healthcare, discusses Centene’s exit from the commercial group markets in California and…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
The Rise of ICHRA: Flexibility, Choice and the Future of Health Benefits with Hunter Foster
In this episode, Hunter Foster, VP, Agency Operations and Strategy, benefitbay, explores the growing adoption of ICHRA and defined contribution models…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Nathan Frank on Aetna’s AI Strategy: Reducing Friction Across Healthcare
In this episode, Nathan Frank, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Aetna, discusses how AI and digital tools are simplifying…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
How Value-Based Care Delivers Better Outcomes for Medicare Members with Dr. Ali Khan
In this episode, Dr. Ali Khan, Chief Medical Officer, Aetna Medicare, discusses new findings showing how value-based care improves clinical outcomes…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Jakob Emerson on Medicare Advantage Pullbacks and SCAN’s Costco Partnership
In this episode, Jakob Emerson, Associate News Director, Becker’s Healthcare, discusses the latest Medicare Advantage trends, including SCAN’s new partnership…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Amanda Free on Affordability and Access in Georgia’s Commercial Market
In this episode, Amanda Free, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia Commercial President, discusses improving healthcare affordability, expanding access…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Agentic orchestration: A new approach to enterprise AI
In this episode, Munjal Shah, Co-founder & CEO of Hippocratic AI, discusses how agentic orchestration can coordinate teams of AI agents to achieve healthcare…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Simplifying Healthcare and Tackling Rising Costs with Jessica Lopez-Liggett
In this episode, Jessica Lopez-Liggett, Commercial State Plan President for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana, discusses rising healthcare costs…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Advancing Personalized Care Through AI, Clinical Insights and Early Intervention with Dr. Stanley Crittenden
In this episode, Dr. Stanley Crittenden, Chief Medical Officer at Cigna Healthcare, discusses how AI-powered analytics and personalized care management are…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Simplifying Healthcare Through Digital Transformation, Affordability and AI with Katie Catlender
In this episode, Katie Catlender, Chief Operating Officer at Point32Health, discusses the organization’s push to consolidate legacy digital platforms, reduce…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Closing the Rural Telehealth Gap in Chronic Care with Sarah Adkins
In this episode, Sarah Adkins, director of public policy with the Elevance Health Public Policy Institute, discusses research showing lower telehealth…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Advancing Smarter, More Personalized Cancer Care with Dr. David Debono
In this episode, David Debono, MD, Oncology Medical Director at Carelon Health, shares how technology, clinical pathways, and data-driven insights are helping…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Building Stronger Healthcare Workforce Pathways Through Community Partnerships with Dan LaVallee & Dr. Brandy Hershberger
In this episode, Dan LaVallee, Associate Vice President of Community Engagement at UPMC Health Plan, and Dr. Brandy Hershberger, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
How Blue Shield of California Is Rethinking Care Delivery with Susan Mullaney
In this episode, Susan Mullaney, Chief Operating Officer at Blue Shield of California, discusses how stronger payer-provider partnerships, AI, value-based…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Dr. Ben Kornitzer on AI, Prior Authorization Reform, and the Future of Payer Provider Collaboration
In this episode, Dr. Ben Kornitzer, Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer at Aetna, discusses how AI, real-time data exchange, and prior authorization…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
AI, Climate Risks, and the Future of Member Care with Dr. Daniel Knecht
In this episode, Dr. Daniel Knecht, Chief Medical Officer, EmblemHealth, discusses how the organization's AI-powered Environmental Resilience Program helps…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
GLP-1 Coverage, Affordability, and Member Access with Angel Ballew
In this episode, Angel Ballew, Head of Pharmacy Clinical Programs and Services at Centene, discusses how the organization approaches GLP-1 coverage across…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Medicare Advantage, Value-Based Care and Improving Outcomes for Vulnerable Populations with Dr. Ken Cohen
In this episode, Dr. Ken Cohen, Chief Medical Officer at Optum Health, discusses new research on Medicare Advantage, social vulnerability, and how full-risk…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Margaret Anderson on Growth, Integration and Affordability at Health Alliance Plan
In this episode, Margaret Anderson, President of Health Alliance Plan by Henry Ford Health, discusses the organization's rebrand, its strategy for deeper…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Earlier Signals, Better Outcomes: Rethinking Risk Stratification for New Members
In this episode, Karla Mills, Vice President of Product Innovation, Surescripts, discusses how health plans can use medication data as an early signal to…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Medicaid, Food as Medicine, and the Future of Coverage with Kelly Munson
In this episode, Kelly Munson, President and CEO of Independence Health Group, discusses the evolving Medicaid and ACA landscape, the impact of policy changes…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Using Data and AI to Improve Care Coordination with Liz Signorella
This episode recorded live at the Becker’s Spring 2026 Payer Issues Roundtable features Liz Signorella, Senior Director of Payor Contracting, Clover Health…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Tackling Healthcare Affordability Through Innovative Funding Models with Morgan Kendrick
In this episode, Morgan Kendrick, EVP and President, Commercial Health Benefits, Elevance Health, discusses the rising cost pressures facing employers and…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
America’s Health Rankings Senior Report: Key Trends in Healthy Aging with Rhonda Randall, DO
In this episode, Rhonda Randall, DO, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, UnitedHealthcare, Commercial Business, Board member of the United…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Sharon Williams on Member Experience, Healthcare Access, and Smarter Payer Technology
This episode recorded live at the Becker’s Spring 2026 Payer Issues Roundtable features Sharon Williams, Chief Executive Officer, and Management Consultant…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Rethinking Risk Adjustment and Payer Provider Alignment in Value-Based Care
In this episode, Carey Ketelsen, President of Virtix Health, joins the podcast to discuss how healthcare organizations are transforming risk adjustment through…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Rethinking Health Plan Design Through Access, AI, and Preventive Care with Adam Park
This episode recorded live at the Becker’s Spring 2026 Payer Issues Roundtable features Adam Park, Director of Network Development, Curative Health Plan, who…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
AI, Interoperability, and Member Experience in Modern Payer Operations with Cara Wahmann
This episode recorded live at the Becker’s Spring 2026 Payer Issues Roundtable features Cara Wahmann, Executive Director Clinical Oversight & Ops Support…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Using Data and AI to Drive Proactive Member Care
This episode recorded live at the Becker’s Spring 2026 Payer Issues Roundtable features Patrick Stevenson, Vice President, Data and Technology, McLaren Health…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Building Trust and Member Engagement in Medicare Advantage with Garfield Collins
This episode recorded live at the Becker’s Spring 2026 Payer Issues Roundtable features Garfield Collins, Co-Founder and Chief Administrative and Partnership…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Navigating Risk Adjustment Data Validation (RADV) Audits with Confidence, and the Costs of Unsupported Diagnoses
In this episode, Dave DeHommel, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Payer Solutions at Reveleer, discusses how Medicare Advantage plans can reduce…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Using Data and AI to Drive Proactive Member Care
This episode recorded live at the Becker’s Spring 2026 Payer Issues Roundtable features Patrick Stevenson, Vice President, Data and Technology, McLaren Health…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Navigating Medicare Advantage, AI & Member Experience with Rob Hitchcock
This episode recorded live at the Becker’s Spring 2026 Payer Issues Roundtable features Rob Hitchcock, President and Chief Executive Officer, Select Health…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Building Trust Through Culture, Community & AI-Enabled Member Engagement with Andy Higgins
This episode recorded live at the Becker’s Spring 2026 Payer Issues Roundtable features Andy Higgins, Vice President, Product And Member Engagement, Clever…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Rakesh Mathew, MS, MBA, CPHIMS, Interoperability Leader at Jefferson Health Plans
In this episode, Rakesh Mathew, MS, MBA, CPHIMS, Interoperability Leader at Jefferson Health Plans, joins the podcast to discuss the financial pressures facing…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Ilan Shapiro, MD, MBA, FAAP, FACHE, Chief Health Correspondent and Medical Affairs Officer and Senior Vice President at AltaMed Health Services
In this episode, Ilan Shapiro, MD, MBA, FAAP, FACHE, Chief Health Correspondent and Medical Affairs Officer and Senior Vice President at AltaMed Health…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Reimagining Proactive and Personalized Health Coverage with Michael Roan
This episode recorded live at the Becker’s Spring 2026 Payer Issues Roundtable features Michael Roan, Market Lead, South Atlantic Markets, Oscar Health. He…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
How AI and Proactive Care Models Are Transforming Medicare Advantage with Damanjeet Chaubey
This episode recorded live at the Becker’s Spring 2026 Payer Issues Roundtable features Damanjeet Chaubey, Vice President, Clinical Affairs, Clover Health. She…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Redefining Member Engagement and AI in Health Insurance with Chris Gay
This episode recorded live at the Becker’s Spring 2026 Payer Issues Roundtable features Chris Gay, Chief Executive Officer, Evry Health and Pendral. He…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Scaling Population Health with AI While Preserving the Human Touch
This episode recorded live at the Becker’s Spring 2026 Payer Issues Roundtable features Betsy Williamson, RN, BS, MHA, Vice President, Quality Performance and…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
Healthcare Upside / Down: How BCBS Massachusetts Predicts Churn, Empowers Brokers, and Wins More Business
In this episode, Steve Moorehead, Vice President of Product, Strategic Planning and Performance Management at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusett, and Marc…
- Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
AI, Consumer Choice, and the Future of Benefits Administration with Brandy Thompson
This episode recorded live at the Becker’s Spring 2026 Payer Issues Roundtable features Brandy Thompson, CEO, Benefitbay. She discusses how ICHRA models are…